Compare

Compare jurisdictions, side by side.

Pick up to 4 countries and see residency, company, banking, family, and risk notes line up. No prices, no marketing packages - just the working notes.

Start your assessment All countries

Pick countries to compare (4/4)

Countries

	Saint Lucia Central America & Caribbean	Bahamas Central America & Caribbean	Malta Europe	Bulgaria Europe
Overview	Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.	The Bahamas is a Caribbean jurisdiction with structured residency routes including the Economic Permanent Residence and an active fund / family-office sector. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bahamian partners.	Malta is an EU member state with established residency, company, and family relocation routes. English is widely spoken and regulatory processes are well documented. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Maltese partners for filings.	Bulgaria is an EU member state with competitive corporate tax, structured residency routes, and a well-developed digital infrastructure. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bulgarian partners for filings.
Best for	Second passport English admin Caribbean residency	HNW Funds Family offices English admin	Founders Holding structures EU access English admin	Founders EU access Cost of living
Currency	XCD	BSD	EUR	BGN / EUR transition
Language	English	English	English / Maltese	Bulgarian
Time zone	UTC-4	UTC-5	UTC+1	UTC+2
EU member	No	No	Yes	Yes
Schengen	No	No	Yes	Yes
Residency	Saint Lucia routes: Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment Standard work permits Family routes	Bahamian residency routes: Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment Annual residence permits for HNW Work permits - employer-sponsored Family routes	Maltese residency routes: Nomad Residence Permit - eligible remote workers Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) - investor route Employment routes Family reunification The citizenship-by-naturalisation-for-exceptional-services programme is closed to new applicants.	Bulgarian residency routes: Employment-based residence Business / self-employment routes Retirement / pensioner residency Family reunification EU citizen-derivative routes Permanent residence typically after 5 years.
Company setup	Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.	IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.	Maltese companies are commonly used for trading, IP holding, and gaming / fintech structures. Substance, accounting, and tax-refund mechanisms are well established but require careful structuring.	OOD (LLC) and EOOD (single-shareholder LLC) are common structures. Formation is well-documented. Corporate tax is at a flat rate; VAT registration depends on activity.
Banking	Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.	Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Local banking has tightened; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through partners with current relationships.	Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Source-of-funds documentation matters for non-standard cases. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.
Family	CBI can include qualifying dependents.	Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.	Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schooling and healthcare are accessible to legal residents.	Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia: Programme parameters change Due diligence has tightened Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas: Economic substance reporting Property due diligence Reputational handling around offshore structures	Risks Bordercase watches for in Malta: Substance requirements (real operations, real director time) Tax classification disputes Banking timelines - EU-wide AML pressure EU anti-abuse rules tighten ongoing	Risks Bordercase watches for in Bulgaria: Tax residency triggers VAT classification on cross-border services Processing variations between regions Euro adoption is in progress - operational planning needed
Documents	Typical CBI documents: Passport Due diligence questionnaires Source-of-funds evidence (extensive) Family certificates with apostille and translation	Typical Bahamian documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents	Standard EU residency document pack for Malta: Passport Criminal record certificate Proof of income Health insurance Accommodation evidence Marriage / birth certificates for family routes Apostille or legalisation where required.	Typical Bulgarian residency documents: Passport Criminal record certificate Proof of address Basis for residence (employment, business, etc.) Health insurance Family certificates Apostilled and translated to Bulgarian.

Saint Lucia

Central America & Caribbean

Bahamas

Central America & Caribbean

Malta

Europe

Bulgaria

Europe

Overview

Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.

The Bahamas is a Caribbean jurisdiction with structured residency routes including the Economic Permanent Residence and an active fund / family-office sector. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bahamian partners.

Malta is an EU member state with established residency, company, and family relocation routes. English is widely spoken and regulatory processes are well documented. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Maltese partners for filings.

Bulgaria is an EU member state with competitive corporate tax, structured residency routes, and a well-developed digital infrastructure. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bulgarian partners for filings.

Best for

Second passport
English admin
Caribbean residency

HNW
Funds
Family offices
English admin

Founders
Holding structures
EU access
English admin

Founders
EU access
Cost of living

Currency

XCD

BSD

EUR

BGN / EUR transition

Language

English

English / Maltese

Bulgarian

Time zone

UTC-4

UTC-5

UTC+1

UTC+2

EU member

Yes

Schengen

Yes

Residency

Saint Lucia routes:

Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment
Standard work permits
Family routes

Bahamian residency routes:

Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment
Annual residence permits for HNW
Work permits - employer-sponsored
Family routes

Maltese residency routes:

Nomad Residence Permit - eligible remote workers
Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) - investor route
Employment routes
Family reunification

The citizenship-by-naturalisation-for-exceptional-services programme is closed to new applicants.

Bulgarian residency routes:

Employment-based residence
Business / self-employment routes
Retirement / pensioner residency
Family reunification
EU citizen-derivative routes

Permanent residence typically after 5 years.

Company setup

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.

Maltese companies are commonly used for trading, IP holding, and gaming / fintech structures. Substance, accounting, and tax-refund mechanisms are well established but require careful structuring.

OOD (LLC) and EOOD (single-shareholder LLC) are common structures. Formation is well-documented. Corporate tax is at a flat rate; VAT registration depends on activity.

Banking

Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.

Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Local banking has tightened; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through partners with current relationships.

Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Source-of-funds documentation matters for non-standard cases. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.

Family

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.

Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schooling and healthcare are accessible to legal residents.

Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia:

Programme parameters change
Due diligence has tightened
Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

Economic substance reporting
Property due diligence
Reputational handling around offshore structures

Risks Bordercase watches for in Malta:

Substance requirements (real operations, real director time)
Tax classification disputes
Banking timelines - EU-wide AML pressure
EU anti-abuse rules tighten ongoing

Risks Bordercase watches for in Bulgaria:

Tax residency triggers
VAT classification on cross-border services
Processing variations between regions
Euro adoption is in progress - operational planning needed

Documents

Typical CBI documents:

Passport
Due diligence questionnaires
Source-of-funds evidence (extensive)
Family certificates with apostille and translation

Typical Bahamian documents:

Passport
Source-of-funds evidence
Health and police clearances
Apostilled foreign documents

Standard EU residency document pack for Malta:

Passport
Criminal record certificate
Proof of income
Health insurance
Accommodation evidence
Marriage / birth certificates for family routes

Apostille or legalisation where required.

Typical Bulgarian residency documents:

Passport
Criminal record certificate
Proof of address
Basis for residence (employment, business, etc.)
Health insurance
Family certificates

Apostilled and translated to Bulgarian.